Summer Reading

It is summer, and many of us are looking for a few good books to take on vacation. Whether you will be spending hours on an airplane, or days by a beach or swimming pool, here are a few suggestions for summer reading, both nonfiction and fiction. Happy reading!

NONFICTION

• Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott. I like Anne Lamott so much that when I heard that she would be speaking at Emory on Maundy Thursday evening I briefly considered moving that holy day to Wednesday instead. Plan B is a companion to her earlier volume of essays on faith, Traveling Mercies. If you are easily offended by those who stray off the straight and narrow path, this is not the book for you. But I find her irreverent reverence to be funny, thought provoking and refreshing.

• Fumbling: A Pilgrimage Tale of Love, Grief and Spiritual Renewal on the Camino de Santiago by Kerry Egan. Egan, a student at Harvard Divinity School, took this pilgrimage through southern France and Spain following the death of her father. Her physical journey on the medieval pilgrim route mirrors her inward journey of anger, grief, joy and redemption as she works through her relationship with her father and with God.

• Why Christian? For Seekers on the Edge of Faith by Douglas John Hall. “It’s doubting faith – or faithful doubt – that I want to dialogue with here,” Hall says. “I think I understand it. It’s where I live too, most of the time.” In this slender book , Hall, one of the most prominent theologians of our time, engages in dialogue with those who are on the edges of faith and the church, about why they should seriously consider Christianity, which he notes is a far different thing than “the religion that masquerades as Christianity.”

• From Anger to Zion: An Alphabet of Faith by Porter Taylor. Taylor is the Episcopal bishop of the Diocese of Western North Carolina and before that was rector of St. Gregory’s in Athens and my neighbor and friend in Nashville. These essays, many of which began as sermons, bring new life and meaning to the words and stories of the Bible and our faith.

 

SUMMER SOLSTICE

Celebrate the Arrival of Summer
June 16
Bring a potluck dish to share, blanket, beverage of choice, and a candle.
Registration begins at 6:30
Advance registration is preferred.
For information contact MMP:
Phone - 404-239-9382 or Email - maryandmartha@mindspring.com
Cost: Adults - $12 Children under 12 - $6 Families - $30

 

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New Book for Our Library

There is a Season

 

Betty Barstow, DRE of Holy Innocents, gave St. Dunstan’s this book as a thank you for our hosting their Rite 13 group for a day of reflection the day before their confirmation last spring. It is signed by all the youth who attended. When Betty asked me what book we would like, I chose this because I discovered it on retreat at Cedar Hill Enrichment Center and found the meditations and artwork on Ecclesiastes 3 to be inspiring. I see this book both as a resource for adults working with children, and adults in general.

"There is a Season shows how human fulfillment and true happiness come, not from getting and having more and more—the fancy house, the big promotion, the perfect family—but from knowing and valuing that which we have. Friendship and laughter, patience and sorrow, humility and compassion, from birth to death—all these are God’s gifts to us, the precious moments of life itself."

Enjoy!

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…It’s Not Just a Garden!

A report on National Public Radio recently suggested that our nation’s children suffer from Nature Deficit Disorder. Perhaps this play on words was a bit insensitive to those with learning challenges, but a good point was made. We are going to build on the love of the outdoors our children at St. Dunstan's seem to have by weaving several projects into our program that will encourage their naturalistic intelligence as it relates to their spiritual formation.

One thing we are doing is growing herbs in the garden, some of which were planted as seeds, some are potted plants which were gifts from Dottie Albright in honor of the 40th Anniversary of St. Dunstan’s. The Hancock family planted tomatoes, Haley planted sunflower artichokes which are from our neighbor’s garden, and Josie Mae helped us plant parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, mint, oregano and basil seeds. When we were done I told the girls that this garden is going to be the beginning of something really special. Haley replied, “Mom, it’s just a garden!” I gave her the raised eyebrow, and said, “Excuse me, but it’s not just a garden!

First this is meant to be a community garden. When we lived in Princeton, NJ, I noticed that several corporations that had relocated from the city to the more remote “farmland turned suburbs of central Jersey” had started community gardens. Employees could be seen throughout the day tending to their patch of huge sprawling rows of sunflowers, leafy greens and stalks. The garden undoubtedly added balance and extended the otherwise primarily indoor environment to include the outdoors. So likewise at St. Dunstan's, the invitation is open…once the kitchen is completed simply plant and label (so we are all aware of what has been sown and where)! It will be fun to use our spices and vegetables for Village Supper!

Second, there will be an overall effort to raise ecological awareness. The children recently voted to donate their offerings from this past year in Children’s Chapel to Adopt a Turtle through the Caribbean Conservation Corporation & Sea Turtle Survival League. Once we receive our member package, we will have information to track our turtle on the web. That information will be made available and will be an ongoing discussion throughout the year.

In addition, our outreach efforts for all children Pre-K—-Rite 13 starting in late August will be built on the Heifer Project International, an organization that provides world hunger education for all ages, and offers several ways to fund raise for sustainable development in agricultural world communities. Children will choose a gift of livestock and recipient during this summer program.

Finally, next year all age groups will be invited to join local day hikes and rafting trips to further extend their connection to the natural world. Through caring for tender seedlings, helping to prevent extinction of endangered species, enjoying the thrill of outdoors experiences, and talking about these experiences within a spiritual community our children will discover new ways of seeing and listening. Their awe and wonder of the beauty of the earth will be nurtured. And they will come to understand that we are caretakers of God’s creation, and that we are not alone, that we are connected, and that each spark of life is unique, and of infinite value (including their own beautiful selves!).

When we come to appreciate the vastness of our natural world and all it holds for us practically and symbolically, our own complicated lives become more manageable and we can have a deeper, more grounded perspective. This perspective can affect the choices we make, the pace in which we live, the way we transition throughout the stages of our own lives, and help uphold those whose lives intertwine with ours.

When we truly take the time to listen to God in nature, we begin to listen to one another and see each other and ourselves at a new level. Our hearts are enlarged, and we gently transform each other and the world with concentric circles of love.

Surely, it’s not just a garden!

Peace, Nanette Woodworth

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From the Christian Formation Director

As well as organizing Vacation Bible School for June, Learning Roundtable Week for Emmaus House campers for July, and attending the Youth Leader Conference at Kanuga, this summer will be an opportunity to reflect on my first five months at St. Dunstan’s, and to plan for next year.

One of my goals is to create Christian Formation Ministry Teams for three age groups: Pre-K/Rotations, Junior High Pre-Rite 13, and Senior High J2A. I know from experience that the best decisions are made and the best programs designed when done collaboratively. When we all bring our gifts to the table the results are amazing!

Perhaps you are called to the ministry of Christian Formation, but do not want to be in the classroom. The ministry team would be for you! If you are called to teach, but cannot make a full year commitment, there are ways to contribute periodically that are vital to the flow of events.

Remember, we do not so much volunteer in church, as we serve. When we do ministry together, pray together and grow together as we nurture our children, we are acting from our heart of hearts in Christ Jesus. We also are living out our baptismal vows. We are sent into the world to witness to God’s love. We are brought to fullness through servanthood within community. (BCP 306)

So if you receive a phone call from me to consider teaching or leading excursions or being on a planning committee, please be open, search your heart, and take seriously your call to serve in a way particular to your gifts – gifts that are latent, developing, or fully mature. As Christians we are called to personal transformation in Christ over a lifetime. Over the next few months, I encourage you to reflect how you might live out this message at St. Dunstan’s through serving in our Christian Formation Program for Youth and Children.

Nanette Woodworth, DRE

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Speaking Out for Outreach

Buckhead Christian Ministry is seeking an intern!

Do you know of a college student who is finished with his or her semester and is looking for a rewarding way to spend this summer?

BCM is looking for an intern to help our Emergency Assistance team and in our thrift store, Buckhead THRIFTique, for the summer of 2005. This intern would assist with client intake, help sort donations and serve customers at Buckhead THRIFTique, as well as other service-related tasks.

If you know of someone who might be interested, please contact Ms. Dudley Bryant at 404.239.0058, ext. 123, or email dudleybryant@bcmatlanta.net

 

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